tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57303912018-03-19T05:09:03.159-07:00Blaine's Puzzle BlogWeekly discussion on the NPR puzzler, brain teasers, math problems and more.Blainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379274325110866036noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-34667734709734664332017-01-01T06:25:00.000-08:002017-01-15T06:56:51.147-08:00NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 1, 2017): Start the Year with a Word Square Puzzle<a href="http://www.npr.org/2017/01/01/507567187/for-this-puzzling-retrospective-on-2016-youll-need-a-set-of-speakers">NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 1, 2017): Start the Year with a Word Square Puzzle</a>: <blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4aHtjfT6vSE/WGkQ4mSceyI/AAAAAAACgLM/CEWFPVB0olMAH9fIUGuBoHzU80kmvCiMgCLcB/s1600/NameWordSquare.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4aHtjfT6vSE/WGkQ4mSceyI/AAAAAAACgLM/CEWFPVB0olMAH9fIUGuBoHzU80kmvCiMgCLcB/s200/NameWordSquare.png" width="200" height="200" /></a></div><b>Q: </b>Take the four-letter men's names TODD, OMAR, DAVE and DREW. If you write them one under the other, they'll form a word square, spelling TODD, OMAR, DAVE and DREW reading down as well.<br /><br />Can you construct a word square consisting of five five-letter men's names? Any such square using relatively familiar men's names will count. Will has an answer using four relatively common names and one less familiar one.</blockquote>This <a href="http://www.babynames1000.com/five-letter/">list of 5-letter names</a> or this <a href="http://www.baby-boy-names.org/5.htm">list of 5-letter boys names</a> should help you get started.<blockquote><b>A: </b>Will's intended answer was:</br>KEMAL</br>EMILE</br>MILAN</br>ALAIN</br>LENNY</br></br>One of the many possible answers, and the answer of the person chosen to play on the air was:</br>ABRAM</br>BLANE</br>RANDY</br>ANDRE</br>MEYER</br></blockquote>Blainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379274325110866036noreply@blogger.com114tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-49858759757263078302016-07-31T07:38:00.000-07:002016-08-07T06:03:13.866-07:00NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 31, 2016): Ponies Accept Seared Caviar<a href="http://www.npr.org/2016/07/31/488042366/hoping-for-2-of-a-kind-better-mix-things-up-a-bit">NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 31, 2016): Ponies Accept Seared Caviar</a>: <br /><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jRGWw5cLstA/V54Mx4vhZMI/AAAAAAACZ6I/73TlyeW8eNE2XwVmQBs5CpwiKvhJ3hMiQCLcB/s1600/DoubleWordSquare.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jRGWw5cLstA/V54Mx4vhZMI/AAAAAAACZ6I/73TlyeW8eNE2XwVmQBs5CpwiKvhJ3hMiQCLcB/s200/DoubleWordSquare.PNG" width="200" /></a></div><b>Q: </b>Take the four four-letter words LIMB, AREA, CORK and KNEE. Write them one under the other, and the four columns will spell four new words LACK, IRON, MERE, and BAKE.<br /><br />This is called a double word square. I'd like you to find a double word square with 6-letter words. Specifically, your square must include the words PONIES, ACCEPT, SEARED and CAVIAR. These four words must be among the 12 common, uncapitalized six-letter words in the square. Can you do it?</blockquote><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DpSBh8VF65A/V6cv-iCRgOI/AAAAAAACaYk/DTqRi7KstSwE_DvquDuZxfF9lCeUdnlbgCLcB/s1600/DoubleWordSquare2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DpSBh8VF65A/V6cv-iCRgOI/AAAAAAACaYk/DTqRi7KstSwE_DvquDuZxfF9lCeUdnlbgCLcB/s200/DoubleWordSquare2.PNG" width="200" /></a></div><b>A: </b>Here's the answer:<br/><br/>ACROSS<br/>CLARET<br/>CAVIAR<br/>EMIGRE<br/>PONIES<br/>TRENDS<br/><br/>ACCEPT<br/>CLAMOR<br/>RAVINE<br/>ORIGIN<br/>SEARED<br/>STRESS</blockquote>Blainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379274325110866036noreply@blogger.com202tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-70784294975436994142015-12-17T12:29:00.001-08:002018-01-23T17:30:40.020-08:00Christmas Puzzle for 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1WsU-vqVI37IM79fzmXkWpRcEE40t10Z_" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AcSqzAuw0qI/VnMZdJt2AwI/AAAAAAACPio/dFM7WYJakts/s320/Christmas%2BTree%2B%2528small%2529.png" /></a></div>Our annual Christmas puzzle is available now. <br />As in prior years, the reward for solving is a <a href="http://vimeo.com/blainefelicia/xmas2015">video Christmas card</a>, but you'll need to figure out the password by <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1WsU-vqVI37IM79fzmXkWpRcEE40t10Z_">solving the puzzle first</a>.<br /><br /><i>Note: If you need some help, the full answer is posted <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1BL1vb2l63-2nBihzz_AdCCGtV8sUvxDS">here</a>, but try solving it <b>without</b> help first... it's more fun that way.</i><br /><br />Feel free to add a comment below to let us know that you successfully figured it out (without giving away the answer to others). We are always looking for new ideas for next year's <a href="http://family.blainesville.com/p/christmas-puzzles.html">Christmas puzzle</a>, so submit those too.Blainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379274325110866036noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-77335615084278765262013-10-27T07:31:00.000-07:002016-11-13T06:30:46.923-08:00NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 13, 2013): U.S. City Population Crossword Puzzle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mclt1w0Yqeo/UlqsasSoghI/AAAAAAAALMc/1t4tNOIZntw/s1600/CityGrid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mclt1w0Yqeo/UlqsasSoghI/AAAAAAAALMc/1t4tNOIZntw/s200/CityGrid.jpg" /></a></div><a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/10/13/232770489/can-you-pass-this-te-st">NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 13, 2013): U.S. City Population Crossword Puzzle</a>: <blockquote><b>Q: </b>Take a seven-by-seven square grid. Arrange the names of U.S. cities or towns in regular crossword fashion inside the grid so that the cities used have the highest possible total population, according to the 2010 Census. For example, if you put Chicago in the top row and Houston in the sixth row, both reading across, and then fit Atlanta, Oakland and Reno coming down, you'll form a mini-crossword. And the five cities used have a total population, according to the 2010 census, of 5,830,997. You can do better. (Note: This is a two-week challenge)</blockquote>The first problem is going to be finding a list of U.S. cities by their 2010 census values, to match Will's example. Using the values from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population">Wikipedia</a>, I get a slightly higher value of 5,831,809 for his example grid. And trying to go to census.gov returns a message that it is closed due to the government shutdown. My other issue with this puzzle is whether or not common abbreviations like LA and NYC will be accepted. I hope Mr. Shortz will post here and clarify his intentions with the puzzle, or at least give more details next week on the air. In any case, this one will be a hard puzzle to discuss or hint at since there aren't really any good ways to give a hint. Even giving your population total will give too much away, so I think it's going to be a hard two weeks to comment.<br/><br/><b>Update: </b>Using a revised list from Wikipedia showing the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_United_States_Census#City_rankings">Top 25 U.S. cities</a>, I get the exact same values as Will:<br/>Chicago = 2,695,598<br/>Houston = 2,099,451<br/>Atlanta = 420,003<br/>Oakland = 390,724<br/>Reno = 225,221<br/>TOTAL = 5,830,997<br/><br/><b>Edit: </b>The winning entry from Glen, accepted by Will:<blockquote><b>A: </b><br/><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_Zr7knWdffg/Um0l3BWNW5I/AAAAAAAALMw/JcqDJ0ZCdTs/s1600/CityAnswer.PNG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_Zr7knWdffg/Um0l3BWNW5I/AAAAAAAALMw/JcqDJ0ZCdTs/s200/CityAnswer.PNG" /></a></blockquote>Blainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379274325110866036noreply@blogger.com163tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-80359186772669673932013-03-24T07:41:00.000-07:002013-03-24T07:48:04.092-07:00NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 24, 2013): Five by Five Word Square<a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/03/24/175144673/finding-the-answers-within">NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 24, 2013): Five by Five Word Square</a>: <br /><blockquote><b><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MRc2vNotYeU/UU8Oc7rfS8I/AAAAAAAAK9s/eTJrfwrXilM/s1600/Nasal5x5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Nasal 5x5" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MRc2vNotYeU/UU8Oc7rfS8I/AAAAAAAAK9s/eTJrfwrXilM/s320/Nasal5x5.jpg" /></a>Q: </b>Take the four words "salt," "afar," "lava" and "trap." Write them one under the other, and the words will read the same vertically as horizontally. This is a word square of four-letter words. Note that the only vowel in this example square is an A. The object of the challenge is to create a five-letter word square using only common, uncapitalized English words, in which the only vowel in the entire square is A. The word in the center row, and column, is NASAL.</blockquote>Aside from subjecting you to some obvious clues, there isn't much I can add, so I'll just give you a picture of the grid & let you figure it out from there.Blainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379274325110866036noreply@blogger.com122tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-7185184638622742122011-05-19T12:00:00.001-07:002018-01-23T02:07:00.470-08:00NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 15, 2011): Four by Four Crossword Square<a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/05/15/136315586/as-a-matter-of-course">NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 15, 2011): Four by Four Crossword Square</a>: <br /><blockquote><b>Q: </b>Create a 4-by-4 crossword square with four four-letter words reading across and four different four-letter words reading down. Use the word 'nags' at 1 across and the word 'newt' at 1 down. All eight words must be common, uncapitalized words, and <i>all 16 letters must be different</i>.</blockquote>You could use recent hints in my other post...<br /><br /><b>Edit: </b>My hint last week was "a tan" which coincidentally works this week as a clue to the least common word in the grid. I'd put <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecru">ecru</a> in the same family as tan, beige and khaki. In addition, reading the first letter of each word in my clue (Y,C,U,R,H,I,M,O,P) gives you the set of letters needed to complete the crossword square.<blockquote><b>A: </b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Br0MuvQlSlM/WmcJN_qQK8I/AAAAAAAC3A4/VqYreRxx-FQm-0D__2fu_arzqix61GUtACLcBGAs/s1600/WordSquare.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Br0MuvQlSlM/WmcJN_qQK8I/AAAAAAAC3A4/VqYreRxx-FQm-0D__2fu_arzqix61GUtACLcBGAs/s1600/WordSquare.gif" data-original-width="183" data-original-height="176" /></a></div>Across: NAGS, ECRU, WHIM, TYPO<br />Down: NEWT, ACHY, GRIP, SUMO</blockquote>Blainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379274325110866036noreply@blogger.com50